Discover the Unique
Tale of the Fastest
Growing Fitness Franchise

Our History

iLoveKickboxing didn't start out as the program it is today. In fact, in the original model there weren't even heavy bags!

But we've always been about growth, evolution, and progress. That's what led us to the unstoppable path we're on today.

In the beginning, ILKB was just a vision. Founder & CEO Michael Parrella saw holes in the other workouts out there. In “big box” gyms, the kickboxing classes were typically led by "clock watching" hourly employees who gave out generic exercises with no passion.

Or you had “hardcore” gyms that were all about being the “toughest” in the room.

There was nothing in the middle - nothing that gave the average man or woman an awesome workout and a supportive community to become a part of.

First, we did tremendous research into fat-burning and muscle-toning, and discovered that High Intensity Interval workouts, where you do intense bursts of exercise followed by short periods of rest, produced results better than anything else. So that became the core model of the workout.

Next, we incorporated standing heavy bags instead of hanging ones because they require almost no maintenance, and hanging ones create a “claustrophic” environment where you're always ducking under these large beams and swinging bags.

Finally, we had to create a culture that you couldn't find anywhere else.

"If everyone felt like friends, I knew they'd be members for life, and they'd love the workouts even more," Michael stated.

Friendship, support, and motivation were the keystones for the culture he sought to create. As soon as someone walked in the door, he wanted them to get hit with a "blast" of energy, positivity, and confidence.

They're enthusiastically greeted, met with warm eye contact, and treated like lifelong friends - the first time they walk in the door.

Today, that culture continues to grow, the workouts have been perfected (both scientifically and for what people enjoy), and ILKB as a whole keeps getting better and better.